First Step:Select a time for the meeting that is convenient for most neighbors, as well as the Crime Prevention Officer. Monday, Tuesday, or Thursday evenings work best. Hold the meeting at the home of a neighbor or at a nearby location such as a church, school, community center, etc. The meeting should be in a comfortable environment. Plan the meeting enough in advance to give everyone adequate notice.

Second Step:Get the word out about the meeting. This can be done through e-mail, flyers, phone calls, letters, etc. The Sheriff's Office can help with the creation of flyers or letters if necessary. You may also want to notify the media.

The Meeting:Have a sign in sheet so that a record can be kept of who attended the meeting. This is also a good way to compile contact information for your neighbors. The Crime Prevention Officer will come and explain how Neighborhood Watch works, and most importantly, why it works. The meeting usually lasts one to two hours depending on questions.

For more information, e-mail or call the Columbia County Sheriff's Office Community Services Division at (706) 541-2856.

Neighborhood Watch is a citizens involvement program, where citizens, in cooperation with each other and the Sheriff's Office, work together in the detection, and hopefully the prevention of crime in their neighborhood.

Want to know an easy and effective way to prevent crime on your street? Be a good neighbor! In fact, neighbors working together in cooperation with law enforcement can make one of the best crime fighting teams around. We call this...

NEIGHBORHOOD WATCH
By participating in Neighborhood Watch, you can:
Reduce opportunities for crime by acting as eyes and ears for Columbia County's Sheriff's Station personnel.
Develop a community/law enforcement partnership with the Columbia County Sheriff's Station through shared information, observation, and reporting of suspicious activity, persons, or vehicles.
Enhance the quality of life for residents in Columbia County.
NEIGHBORHOOD WATCH WORKS!
A Neighborhood Watch meeting can make the difference in whether your home and neighborhood become a target for crime or remain a safe environment in which to live. The time commitment is minimal.

Benefits include:
The opportunity to meet your neighbors and the Sheriff's Deputies assigned to your neighborhood
The opportunity to attend a variety of crime prevention training seminars on topics such as car burglary/vehicle theft prevention, personal safety, domestic violence, hate crimes, and more
Receiving information on issues that may be of concern to your neighborhood
Receiving crime statistics for your neighborhood
Receiving the City's quarterly Neighborhood Watch newsletter, "Watch Around The Block," which offers information on public safety issues, crime prevention tips, current crime trends, and events pertaining to public safety.